Spray head for a squeeze bottle

ABSTRACT

A nebulising dispenser head ( 1; 100 ) for a bottle that is elastically deformable by squeezing, comprising a channel of the liquid and a channel of the air obtained in a machine block of the dispenser head ( 1; 100 ) and an ejection tip ( 3 ) provided with a sealing door ( 8 ) hinged in its distal part ( 35 ), the sealing door ( 8 ) being able to rotate by 180 DEG from an open position to a closed position of a discharge orifice of the dispenser head.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a nebulising dispenser head for abottle that is elastically deformable by squeezing, in which a jet of aliquid, contained inside the bottle under a volume of air, is nebulisedby being mixed with part of said volume of air when both fluids, air andliquid, are expelled simultaneously through the dispenser head by effectof the internal pressure generated by the manual squeezing of thebottle.

A dispenser head of this kind is a valid alternative to dispenser headswith micro-pump and to dispenser heads for pressurised containers, withrespect to the former thanks to its lower cost as a result of a simplerconstruction, and with respect to the latter thanks to its reducedenvironmental impact, not requiring a gas bottle with the relatedpressurised gas.

As mentioned above, in dispenser heads for deformable bottle the energyneeded for the nebulisation is provided to the fluid through thesqueezing of the bottle whereon the dispenser head is applied. To allowan adequate nebulisation, generally the dispenser head has a channel ofthe liquid, which on one side is connected to a suction tube which drawsfrom the bottom of the bottle and on the other side ends with a nozzleof the liquid in a mixing chamber in which the jet of liquid is hit byan air current flowing from a channel communicating with the volume ofair inside the bottle, air channel that surrounds the liquid channel andends, like that one, in the mixing chamber upstream of an orifice forthe discharge of the nebulised to the exterior.

To prevent the undesired spillage of the liquid, if the bottle is upsetor squeezed involuntarily, and also to avoid the possible deteriorationof the liquid in contact with the outside air, means for closing thedispenser head have already been provided.

BACKGROUND ART

Some closing means act directly on the output orifice, such as, amongothers, in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,882 granted 5 Feb. 1980. It providesa liquid nebuliser comprising a liquid channel ending with a nozzlesurrounded by the neck of the bottle in which the inflow of air takesplace, a mixing chamber obtained with a closure element applied on theneck of the bottle and provided with an orifice discharging to theexterior.

Although the screw-on cap is currently used on bottles for widelydistributed products, is nonetheless inconvenient: to use the productcontained in the bottle, the cap must be unscrewed, set down some placeand, once its use is complete, the cap must be picked up again andscrewed back on.

To overcome this drawback, which entails time wastage and the risk offorgetting to close the bottle, bottles with nebulising dispenser headswhich can be closed with a manually actuated valve have already beenstudied.

For example, the U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,304 granted on 31 Jul. 2001,discloses a nebulising dispenser head, in which a sprayer body defininga valve seat with a valve which defines a passage of liquid, one and theother being able to be rotated selectively about their longitudinal axisbetween a closed position and an open position of the valve in which themixing chamber is disconnected from a suction tube and respectivelyconnected thereto; a passage of the air, positioned coaxially around aportion of the passage of the liquid and connecting the interior of thebottle containing a volume of air and said mixing chamber, being closedby the rotation of the valve.

The U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,133, granted on 4 Jun. 2002, discloses anebulising dispenser head for a bottle to be squeezed, in which asprayer body defining a valve seat with valve, the valve, which definesthe converging conduits of liquid and air, being slidably movable alongits own longitudinal axis between a backward closed position and aforward open position, in which the passages of the air and of theliquid are both, respectively, closed and open.

Although the aforementioned patents effectively solve the problem ofclosing the nebulising dispenser head of a bottle that is elasticallydeformable in manual fashion, they achieve this result thanks to valveswhich make their construction more complex and costly. Moreover therotary operation of a valve is inconvenient and does not facilitate usebecause it does not allow clearly to show the opened and closed state ofthe valve. Similarly, in the case of the sliding valve, since thesliding travel is very limited, the exact position of the valve is notperfectly clear.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to obtain means forclosing a nebulising dispenser head for a squeezable bottle with asimple and inexpensive structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for closing anebulising dispenser head for a squeezable bottle whose is use is easyand intuitive.

An additional object of the invention is to provide means for closing anebulising dispenser head for a squeezable bottle which clearlyhighlight to the user its closed or opened state.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide means for closing anebulising dispenser head for a squeezable bottle that does not entailany waste of time in the use of the bottle.

The aforementioned objects are achieved by a nebulising dispenser headfor a bottle that can be elastically deformable by squeezing, comprisinga channel for the liquid, connected at one of its ends to a suction tubewhich draws a liquid contained inside a bottle under a volume of air andterminating, at its other end, with a nozzle for the liquid in a mixingchamber, and a channel for the air communicating with said volume of airof the bottle, surrounding the channel of the liquid and merging withsaid mixing chamber obtained by coupling with a terminal element whichis applied facing said nozzle for the liquid and is provided with anoutwardly discharging nozzle, nebulising dispenser head which, from ageneral point of view, is characterised in that:

-   -   said channel for the liquid and said channel for air are        obtained in a machined block of said dispenser head in the form        of a tubular segment externally provided with ribs and,        respectively, of a wall surrounding said channel for the liquid        with the formation of a tubular compartment, substantially        coaxial to said ribbed tubular segment, said wall having an        opening communicating with said volume of air inside the bottle;    -   said terminal element includes an ejection tip with tubular        element having a cavity that is contoured so it axially narrows        outwards in said discharge orifice and it ends with a diverging        segment, said ejection tip being inserted with a proximal        portion thereof into said ribbed tubular compartment to form        said mixing chamber;    -   externally coaxial to said tubular element being integrally        formed a sleeve provided with an abutment able to define a depth        of insertion of said ejection tip into said tubular segment of        the machined block;    -   a sealing door being integrally hinged in a distal part of said        sleeve, the sealing door being able to rotate by 180° from an        open position to a closed position of said discharge orifice.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention shall be more readily apparent from the detaileddescription that follows of an embodiment thereof, in two variants,considered together with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section of a first variant of dispenser head,without the ejection tip with sealing door, according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of an ejection tip with dispenser headsealing door according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section of the dispenser head of FIG. 1,complete with ejection tip with sealing door in the open condition,according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section of a second variant of dispenser head,complete with ejection tip with sealing door in the closed state,according to the invention, the dispenser head having a connection withthe neck of the bottle; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic axonometric view of the dispenser head of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

With reference initially to FIGS. 1 through 3, which are longitudinalsections, the number 1 designates a dispenser head according to thepresent invention for a snap-on coupling with a bottle that iselastically deformable by squeezing (shown only partially in FIG. 3).The reference number 3 designates an ejection tip.

According to the invention, the nebulising dispenser head is formed in asingle machined block 10, in which are obtained a channel for the liquid4 and a channel for air 5.

In the figures that follow the channel of the liquid 4 is shown with ahorizontal tubular segment 40 following a vertical segment 41 whereon isinserted an end of a suction tube 6, with the interposition of aretaining ball 9. It is known (although it is not shown in the figures)that the suction tube 6 is immersed with its other end in a liquidcontained within the bottle 2. The liquid, which is the product to benebulised, is under a volume of air. The horizontal tubular segment 40of the channel of the liquid 4 ends, in its free end, with a nozzle ofthe liquid 7 in a mixing chamber 70. The mixing chamber 70 is formed byapplying the ejection tip 3, as shall be described more in detailhereafter.

As shown, the horizontal segment 40 of the channel of the liquid 4externally has ribs 42 serving reinforcement functions. Moreover, theribs 42 serve to create air passages for the air channel 5 obtained fromthe co-operation of a wall 50 surrounding the segment 40 of the liquidchannel 4 with the ejection tip 3.

In particular, the wall 50 is cylindrical and it forms a tubularcompartment 51 that is substantially coaxial to the ribbed tubularsegment 40. Naturally, the wall 50 may have other than cylindricalshape. The wall 50 has an opening 52 in communication with the internalvolume of air of the bottle. The air channel 5 surrounds the liquidchannel 4 and it merges into the coupling mixing chamber 70 obtainedwith the ejection tip 3.

The ejection tip 3 has a tubular element 30 with its cavity shaped toaxially narrow outwards in a discharge orifice 31 and end with adiverging segment 32.

Externally coaxial to the ejection tip 3 is formed, integrallytherewith, a sleeve 33 provided with an abutment 34 able to define adepth of insertion of the ejection tip 3 into the tubular compartment51.

The ejection tip 3 further comprises a sealing door S hinged in theupper part of the sleeve 33, in a distal part 35 thereof. The door is atequilibrium in the open position and it therefore tends spontaneously tocomplete the last part of the opening rotation of 180° from the closedposition.

In particular, the ejection tip 3 has a centring element in the form ofa plate 36 projecting from the sleeve 33 and able to be inserted intothe machined block 10 of the dispenser head 1 in a slit 11 obtainedtherein externally to the tubular compartment 51.

The ejection tip 3 has a cylindrical distal end 37 in correspondencewith the diverging segment 32 of the discharge orifice 31 forming, atits base, an abutment step 38.

The sealing door 8 has, in its face 80 destined to engage the ejectiontip 3, a sealing ring 81 and, coaxially internal thereto, a projectingpivot 82. The sealing ring 81 is destined to abut against the abutmentstep 38 of the distal end of the ejection tip 3 coupling by interferencewith the outer profile of the distal end 37 in such a way as to assuretightness. The projecting pivot 82 is able to be inserted into thediverging final segment 32 of the discharge orifice 31 to favour thecorrect coupling of the parts and also to lock the door in the closedposition.

The wall 50 surrounding the liquid channel 4 has, on the surface thatfaces the tubular segment of the liquid channel, undercut portion s 53,whilst the tubular element 30 of the ejection tip 3 has on its outersurface corresponding projections 39 destined to engage the undercutportions 53.

When, as shown in FIG. 3, the ejection tip 3 is applied to the lock 10of the dispenser head 1, the tubular element 30 is inserted in thetubular compartment 51 of the air channel 5. With the projections 39 ofthe tubular element 30 inserted in the undercut portions 53, the cavityof the tubular element 30 creates the mixing chamber 70, facing thenozzle 7 for the liquid.

In FIG. 3, the sealing door 8 is shown rotated upwards around thevirtual hinge designated 83 in the connecting area with the distalportion of the sleeve 33. This is the open position. The closed positionof the sealing door is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the dispenser head 1 inferiorly has a tubularsnap-on connecting portion 12 internally shaped with protrusions 13circumferentially equidistant towards the interior, able to engage aperipheral projection 20 of the neck of the bottle 2.

With reference to FIG. 4, which is a longitudinal section, a dispenserhead 100 is shown which differs from the dispenser head 1 of FIGS. 1 and3 only in its different connection to the neck of the bottle. Thedispenser head 100 includes a separate collar 120 internally threaded tobe screwed, with the interposition of a gasket 130, onto a bottle neckwith matching thread (not shown). The other identical parts, designatedby the same reference numbers, are not further described herein.

Lastly, FIG. 5 shows an axonometric view of the dispenser head 1 or 100according to the present invention with the sealing door 8 in the closedposition as in FIG. 4.

1. A nebulising dispenser head (1; 100) for a bottle that is elasticallydeformable by squeezing, comprising a channel for the liquid (4),connected at one of its ends to a suction tube (6) which draws a liquidcontained within a bottle (2) under a volume of air and terminating, atits other end, with a nozzle of the liquid (7) in a mixing chamber (70),and a channel for air (5) communicating with said volume of air of thebottle (2), surrounding the channel for the liquid (4) and merging intosaid mixing chamber (70) formed by coupling with a terminal elementwhich is applied facing said nozzle for the liquid (7) and is providedwith an orifice (31) for discharging outwards, characterised in that:said channel for the liquid (4) and said channel for air (5) are formedin a machined block (10) of said dispenser head (1; 100) in the form ofa tubular segment (40) externally ribbed with ribs (42) and,respectively, of a wall (50) surrounding said channel of the liquid (4)with the formation of a tubular compartment (51) substantially coaxialto said ribbed tubular segment (40), said wall (50) having an opening(52) for communication with said inner volume of air of the bottle (2);said terminal element includes an ejection tip (3) with tubular element(30) having a cavity so shaped as to axially narrow outwards in saiddischarge orifice (31) and terminate with a diverging segment (32), saidejection tip (3) being inserted with a proximal portion thereof intosaid ribbed tubular compartment (51) to form said mixing chamber (70);externally coaxial to said tubular element (30) being integrally formeda sleeve (33) provided with an abutment (34) able to define a depth ofinsertion of the ejection tip into said tubular compartment (51) of themachined block (10); a sealing door (8) being integrally hinged in adistal part (35) of said sleeve (33), the sealing door (8) being able torotate by 1800 from an open position to a closed position of saiddischarge orifice (31).
 2. A dispenser head (1; 100) as claimed in claim1, characterised in that the ejection tip (3) has a centring element, inthe form of a plate (36) projecting from said sleeve (33) and able to beinserted into said machined block (10) of dispenser head (1; 100) in aslit (11) obtained therein externally to said tubular compartment (51).3. A dispenser head (1; 100) as claimed in claim 1, characterised inthat said ejection tip (3) has a cylindrical distal end (37) incorrespondence with the diverging segment (32) of the discharge orifice(31) forming an abutment step (38), and said sealing door (8) has, inits face (80) destined to engage the ejection tip (3), a sealing ring(81) and, coaxially internal thereto, a projecting pivot (82), thesealing ring (81) being secured on the ejection tip (3) for the seal,the projecting pivot (82) being able to enter said final divergingsegment (32) of the discharge orifice (31), locking the sealing door (8)in the closed position.
 4. A dispenser head (1; 100) as claimed in claim1, characterised in that said wall (50) surrounding the channel for theliquid (5) has on the surface oriented towards the tubular segment (40)of the channel for the liquid (4) undercut portions (53) and saidtubular element (30) of the ejection tip (3) has on its outer surfacecorresponding projections (39) destined to engage said undercut portions(53).
 5. A dispenser head (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterised inthat it has a tubular portion for snap-on connection (12), internallyshaped with circumferentially equidistant protrusions (13) able toengage a peripheral projection (20) of the neck of the bottle (2).
 6. Adispenser head (100) as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that itincludes a separate collar (120) internally threaded to be screwed, withthe interposition of a gasket (130), onto a bottle neck with matchingthread.